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The Cook Up with Adam Liaw
series • cooking
PG
series • cooking
PG
Looking for quick and easy dinner recipes? Take the stress out of mid-week meals with these weeknight dinner recipes from some of our favourite chefs and great show guests. From pro tricks and hacks to recreating classics in a way that fits busy schedules, to comfort food in a jiffy (we're looking at you, prawn pil pil pasta!), you will be sure to have these on your weekly rotation.
Only 15 minutes to cook? Adam Liaw has you covered with this speedy pork mince stir-fry that comes together simply for a flavour-packed meal to feed two with very little effort. And as he notes when sharing it on The Cook Up, you could easily use the same idea with beef or chicken mince.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
If you're really short on time, this creamy pesto gnocchi from Olympic champion swimmer Ariarne Titmus, also shared on The Cook Up, can be on the table in ten minute. It's an easy dinner that showcases fresh spring vegetables in every bite. Dare we say, it's a winner...
Credit: Jiwon Kim
This easy chicken salad from Adam Liaw is the perfect dish if you have a garden bursting with fresh herbs, and boasts plenty of punchy flavour from the nước chấm dressing.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
Fragrant, fast and fabulous: A Thai classic, this dish is traditionally made with Thai holy basil, known as ‘bai gaprow,’ which has a distinctive ‘spicy’ citrus aroma. But Thai basil, or even Italian basil, can be swapped in, for an end result that is fragrant and delicious. Marion Grasby's recipe will have dinner for two on the table in half an hour.
Credit: Marion Grasby
Making traditional butter chicken usually involves marinating the chicken for hours. Another winner from Marion Grasby, this recipe is the answer if you're craving that comforting flavour, but are short on time. Her butter chicken shortcut elevates the humble store-bought roast chook for a quick curry with a silky tomato cream sauce that tastes like you’ve been at it for hours.
Credit: Sippakorn Wongthanapa
Looking for an easy, healthy weeknight dinner recipe? Donal Skehan's recipe is inspired by a Spanish tapas dish, gambas pil pil, with the addition of pasta to make a meal. It’s the type of quick pasta dinner you want to dive into – and it's ready in around 20 minutes, so you won't have to wait long to enjoy it!
Prawn pil pil pasta. Credit: Appetite Media
This is an easy version of a curry mee-style laksa. Marion Grasby says it’s definitely not traditional (hello, Thai red curry paste) but the additional curry powder adds just the right spices to give you enough of a laksa vibe, without making a paste from scratch.
Credit: Sippakorn Wongthanapa
A traditional meat ragu generally takes about an hour to cook, but this express version, ready in under 20 minutes, delivers maximum flavour in minimum time. And Helen Tzouganatos' recipe works beautifully with gluten-free tagliatelle, so this is a great dinner for two if you're after an easy gluten-free midweek dinner.
Gluten-free express lamb ragu tagliatelle. Credit: Loving Gluten Free
A relatively simple Punjabi dish of paneer, potato, capsicum and various spices, you can whip this recipe up in around 40 minutes.
Credit: Brett Stevens
A really fast feast: thin pieces of pork cook quickly in a hot pan, and maple syrup, soy sauce and mustard create a gorgeous sticky glaze.
Credit: Donal's Meals in Minutes
"Lots of different noodles would no doubt be delicious coated in this nutty sauce, but I do love those packets of thick udon noodles which just need a quick blast in a pot of boiling water," says Donal Skehan of this tasty dinner for two, ready in just 15 minutes.
Credit: Donal's Meals in Minutes
Here's a delicious way to use up the leftovers of a roast chicken dinner. Traditionally a ramen broth would take hours and hours to simmer, but Marion's clever shortcut uses the flavours of roast chicken to bring depth to the broth in just 20 minutes. (And if you're looking for a speedier way to make a wonderful roast chicken dinner, have a look at Marion Grasby's roast chicken with five-spice gravy.)
Credit: Sippakorn Wongthanapa
As Michael Bonacini notes when sharing this recipe, Sicilians are ingenious when it comes to taking a few ingredients and transforming them into a mouth-watering dish. This rigatoni broccoli e salsiccia is a great weeknight dinner recipe to add to your repertoire because it’s not complicated and takes very few ingredients.
This vibrant broccoli and sausage rigatoni is a taste of Sicily. Credit: Bonacini's Italy
This simple Mexican-style chicken soup served with a chilli and coriander salsa is fresh and full of flavour. The key is using a good-quality chicken stock.
Credit: Donal's Meals in Minutes
The slippery, sticky deliciousness of this noodle dish is always a winner. The secret to this classic Thai noodle dish is to have all your ingredients chopped, prepped or measured out before you start cooking, then it all comes together quickly, with Marion Grasby's recipe putting dinner for two on the table in about half an hour. (And while store-bought fresh noodles make this a speedy dinner, if you've got more time, you can use Marion's recipe for homemade rice noodles, too!).
Credit: Wok Vs Pot with Marion and Silvia
Like it spicy? Hunan, the largest province in Southern China, is known for it’s bold and spicy food. This Hunan-style pork and chilli dish features 250 grams mixed chillies and deliveries a fiery, authentic kick of spicy heat that's ready in under half an hour.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
This aromatic bean stew enriched with cherry tomatoes and spinach and served with lamb genuinely only takes minutes to make.
Credit: Donal's Meals in Minutes
Keep this recipe from Shane Delia on the list for summer nights: Fresh salmon sliced thin and marinated in a mix of complementary Asian flavours, served on a bed of cold noodles. No cooking required!
Lime-cured salmon cold noodle salad Credit: Shane Delia's Recipe For Life
This is one of those old-fashioned, budget-conscious, tasty and comforting dishes. And this recipe from Julie Goodwin is ready in about 25 minutes – another great easy family midweek dinner!
Curried eggs Credit: Adam Liaw
Mapo tofu is a traditional Chinese dish that is typically served with pork mince. Brisbane-based chef Louis Tikaram's vegan alternative heroes tofu for a delicious dinner ready in under half an hour.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
A speedy dinner for six? Sorted, with these quick chicken noodles from Adam Liaw – perfect to feed a crowd, but ready in just 20 minutes!
Credit: Jiwon Kim
Another easy dinner recipe that's high on comfort factor, this zucchini, mint and ricotta paccheri pasta from Massimo Mele is simple, but packed with flavour.
Zucchini, mint and ricotta paccheri Credit: Jiwon Kim
Usually made with shredded cabbage (such as this more traditional recipe), this take on the Japanese savoury pancake uses up your leftover roast vegetables, bound together with egg and cheese then topped with okonomiyaki's signature barbecue-style sauce and mayonnaise.
Bubble and squeak okonomiyaki Credit: Adam Liaw
"This is a super simple dish I like to eat when I come home from a comedy gig. I'm usually craving carbs and salty flavours after the adrenalin rush of the night, and this dish has that in bucketloads – but it also has some vegetables too," says Jennifer Wong.
Pan-fried gnocchi with miso butter and cherry tomatoes Credit: Adam Liaw
MORE MID-WEEK DINNER FAVOURITES
Only got 15 minutes? Here are some dinner ideas
